


He Stayed

by themadtilde



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Feels, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Nicercy - Freeform, Percico - Freeform, Slight Humor, Slight Hurt/Comfort, and then leaves, nico never stays, though he does eat percys food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 03:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5076190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadtilde/pseuds/themadtilde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico usually drops in for a movie night, but he never stays the night.<br/>Percy wonders why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Stayed

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the Second Giant War with Gaia. Or Gaea, however you spell it.  
> Slight AU where Percabeth never was a thing. Well, Annabeth doesn't even exist in this fic, haha.
> 
> Sorry for my grammar and my use of English words. English is not my native language. Also this is unbeta'd cuz I prefer to correct my stories by my own so there might be a wrong grammar or spelling here and there.
> 
> NEW: 21/01/16  
> Okay guys this is TOO MUCH: 100 KUDOS ON TWO OF MY WORKS?! DO CHU KNOW HOW EUPHORIC I AM? Being a non-english speaker in 7th grade with a desperate wish for to be famous but always being too shy to do anything, this. Is. Huge. Thankyouthankyouthankyou ♡♡♡♡♡♡

The son of Hades suddenly stood there, blinking in the light. He literally appeared from nowhere and Percy couldn’t suppress a scream, causing him to drop the bowl of popcorn he had been holding.

“Nico!” Percy screamed, gasping. “You gave me a freaking heart attack!”

Nico smiled apologetically at Percy. “Sorry Perce” he said. “Didn’t mean to freak you out.”

He was dressed in black, with his Stygian sword hanging at his hip. His face was as pale as always and Percy wondered if Nico ever had heard of the sun, or spending time outside. Nico had dark circles under his eyes, making his already dark irises seem almost black.

“Well” Percy said, catching his breath as he bent down to pick up the popcorn from the floor (he had used a bucket out of plastic so he didn’t have to worry about glass). “What are you doing here? I thought you were helping your dad in the Underworld.”

Nico shrugged. “Grew tired of it” he replied vaguely. Percy frowned, but didn’t push the subject further.

“Well” he said, “are you heading to see Jason? Because it’s Saturday, and he and Piper are probably on a date.”

Nico shook his head. “I know. I actually came to see you.”

“Me?” The surprise must’ve been evident in Percy’s voice, because Nico suddenly shrank back.

“Of course, I could leave if you want…” he began, and Percy quickly stood up, almost knocking the bowl over again.

“No! No, not like that. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” He reached for Nico’s hand and the boy tensed at Percy’s touch. Percy frowned when he felt Nico’s ice cold wrist and he pulled it closer, yanking the sleeve up to get a view of the arm.

“Man, you are cold” he said, astonishment in his voice. He let his fingers trace over the younger boy’s forearm, causing him to blush.

“Son of Hades and all” Nico muttered uncomfortably.

 **"** Right” Percy dropped Nico’s arm and it fell back, hanging loosely by Nico’s side as if he couldn’t control his own limbs. Though Percy didn’t seem to notice, because he placed the popcorn bowl on the table and said:

“So, how about we watch The Lion King?” the son of Poseidon offered, not noticing Nico’s blush.

“I .. uh…”  Nico began, but Percy had already tugged him down on the couch.

“No excuses! You just can’t miss this!” Percy said happily.

Nico sighed and sunk back in the couch.

* * *

The Lion King turned out to be a great movie indeed, and Nico felt his eyes droop as the credits began to roll.

“Hey” Percy whispered in his ear. His breath tickled Nico’s neck and a blush crept up. Again.

“You can sleep here if you want. Either on a mattress or in my bed …”

Nico bolted up from the couch, his once so sleepy eyes wild.

“No, no, it’s fine!” he stammered. Percy sat up as well, looking confused. What had he done now? He was only offering Nico a sleeping place.

“Come on man, a sleepover!” Percy begged. Nico’s pale cheeks were flustered as he spoke:

“Sorry Percy, I gotta go-” and then he was gone. Percy stared at the space where Nico had been less a second ago. It took him a few minutes to realize that the boy actually had left.

“Well” he muttered and swtiched off the TV, “so much for offering popcorn.”

x

x

x

Next time Nico showed up Percy sat under a nest of blankets, watching a horror movie. The entire apartment was dark, the TV only giving the slightest of light. So you could understand that Percy screamed - again - when Nico suddenly stood before him.

“NICO! A WARNING MAYBE?!” His heart pounded in his chest, having been tense ever since the horror movie had gotten into the real plot.

“Sorry” Nico mumbled, hanging his head. He looked about the same as when Percy had seen him a few weeks ago - circles around his eyes, the sword by his side and his black clothing. But he had a new shirt. Which was black.

“I was bored, so I figured I would come here” Nico shrugged.

“Uh, okay. Not that I have anything against your company, but why me?” Percy asked. When Nico frowned at him, he explained: “I mean, I sort of thought you hated me. You usually spend time with Jason and Reyna, and you never showed any interest in me.” Percy shrugged. “Just wondering why you’re choosing me of all people.”

Thank the gods Nico was blocking the light from the TV, or Percy would’ve seen his crimson red cheeks and ears.

“Nothing particular” Nico muttered. “I just … I don’t know. And I don't hate you.”

A scream from the TV made them both flinch and Percy hid his face behind the blanket. When he looked up again, he saw Nico scowling at the TV.

“Such a horrible movie” he said. “Resurrecting the dead. That’s impossible, I have they know. Once you’re dead and your soul has left your body, you-”

“Yeah, yeah” Percy interrupted. “Son of Hades, knows everything about death. Yeah, I know. Will you shut up and watch the movie with me instead?”

Nico scoffed and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling when he slid down next to Percy.

While Percy screamed and gasped, Nico didn’t even blink. It was as if the monsters and jumpscares had no effect on him. He just sat there, frowning ever so slightly as if he was thinking about something he didn’t like.

“Hey” Percy untangled himself from the blankets, “what are you thinking about?”

Nico winced, as if he had forgotten Percy. When he turned to face him, he forced a smile. “Nothing” he said, though it was obviously something that disturbed him.

Percy was about to push him, but a scream echoed from the TV and made Percy scream as well.

“Percy?” Nico said when the older teen had calmed himself. “I must go.”

“What? Why?” Percy pouted, forgetting the movie.

“I just … need to” Nico replied. “Thanks for the popcorns, by the way.” He offered Percy a small smile before he vanished into thin air.

“Damn him and his shadowtravelling!” Percy muttered. There was no way he was going to watch this movie alone, so he moved to switch off the TV. But the last jumpscare was left - a terrifying face emerged on the screen from nowhere. Percy almost fell backwards, screaming.

x

x

x

Their third movie night contained of Little Mermaid and a bowl of crisps. Something that surprised Percy was that Nico actually seemed a bit tearful every now and then, but he denied it everytime Percy pointed it out.

At the end of the movie, Percy turned to glance at Nico again, only to find him asleep  in the couch, his head on Percy’s shoulder. The son of Hades looked so innocent in his sleep - young and carefree. Though the dark circles under his eyes remained there, making the boy look hollow and empty.

Percy carefully reached for the remote and pressed the powerbutton. The apartment became dark, and Percy closed his eyes.

He dreamt about flowers, underwater creatures and mermans and mermaids. He was a merman, swimming in the sea. He felt the water  plunging in his face, and he was chasing something. Or _someone_. Someone with dark hair, a pale skin and eyes dark as the night. They swam, and no matter how he tried, the other boy only laughed and slipped away from Percy.

When he awoke, sunlight shone thorugh the curtains. He lay on his side on the couch with a blanket over him, and Nico was gone.

x

x

x

It went on like that for about six more times. Nico dropped in, they watched a movie and Nico always left at the end of the movie. The second time after the first time he fell asleep on Percy, the older teen outright begged him to stay.

“Just one night, Nico, please. We always have so much fun, and I’d like to get to know you better.”

But Nico always had an excuse - needed to wake up early, had a mission to go on, needed to help his dad.

Two more times he fell asleep - once in Percy’s lap and once on a pillow - and Percy followed suit, falling asleep on the couch.

And everytime, he woke alone.

x

x

x

 

“Nico?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you never stay the night?”

Silence.

“Nico?”

“Because. Because I can’t.”

“Why not?”

No reply.

“Can you stay tonight? I’ll make pancakes in the morning.”

“Percy, I’m so sorry but I can’t.”

Percy bit his lip and hoped that the darkness concealed the tear that rolled down his cheek.

 

x

x

x

 

Percy had set up a game of chess to play with Grover, but the satyr had cancelled in the last minute. Grumbling, Percy moved to sweep all of the chess pieces back in the box.

“Do you play chess?”

Nico didn’t scare him as much as he had done the last times but still, Percy flinched. When he had regained his breath, he met the other boy’s gaze.

 **"** Yeah” he said. “Do you?” Nico shrugged.

“A bit” he replied.

“Well” Percy said, “Grover cancelled in the last minute and I have a dinner prepared, which I can’t eat by myself. Also it would be such a waste to pack down this game of chess again, don’t you think?”

Nico raised one eyebrow.

“Are you suggesting something?”

Percy grinned.

“Maybe."

After five rounds of chess - Percy won two of them - and a dinner in Percy’s small kitchen, they settled before the TV. As they watched a corny romantic movie, Percy suddenly spoke up.

“Will you stay tonight?”

He felt Nico move next to him.

“What do you mean?” he finally replied.

“I mean, will you sleep here?”

Nico hesitated, and Percy knew the answer.

“No, I don’t think so.”

They were silent for a few minutes before Percy said:

“Why?”

They had went thorugh this many times before, and as he did everytime, Nico didn’t answer. He remained silent, pulling his knees up to wrap his arms around them.

“Nico, why not? Why won’t you stay with me? Is it because of nightmares? Am I too pushy? Don’t you like sleepovers?” He lowered his voice, looking at his hands in his lap. “Is it because of Bianca?"

Nico flinched when he heard his sister’s name, but he quickly shrugged it off when he saw Percy’s vulnerable look.

“Percy, no. Gods no, it’s not because of Bianca. It - it was not your fault. Please, don’t think so.”

“Then why?” Percy mumbled. “Why won’t you stay? You always leave at the end of the movie or when I’m asleep. Why won’t you just _stay_? At least until I wake up?”

Nico looked like he was in pain. He shifted position so he was facing Percy, but the sea-demigod didn’t look up.

“Percy…”

“Am I too annoying? I get that, ADHD and that. Or is my apartment too dirty?”

“Percy, it’s got nothing to do with you I swear.”

The teen looked up then, seagreen eyes blazing.

“Then what is it?” He sounded desperate, pleading for an answer.

Nico suddenly stood up, and Percy knew what was coming

“I must go, Percy.” Nico didn’t look him in the eyes.

A sudden determination filled the son of Poseidon. He wasn't going to let Nico away.

“No.” Percy stood up, grabbing Nico’s arm. “Nico, no. Please don’t go.” The son of Hades held a secret, one that he wanted to hide from Percy. He had gathered that much. But what kind of secret made Nico drop in constantly but always leave? 

“Percy, let me go.” Nico yanked his arm back, but Percy’s grip was firm. 

“Stay with me Nico, just one night. Please.”

His voice sounded pleading, and Nico knew that he was tilting his head in a puppy-look.

“Percy…”

“Is there anything I can do to convince you? Anything?” Percy hoped he didn’t sound as desperate as he was. But he wanted to be with Nico, to spend time with him. Not only hours in front of the TV, but _personal_ time. Talk about stuff.

He wanted to get to know the boy he had known for almost as long as Annabeth and Grover, but never really gotten to _know._

Slowly Nico turned to face him and shook his head.

“Percy, just let me go already.” Nico's tone was urgent, but so was Percy's.

“You can sleep on your own mattress, we don’t have to share a bed. Just one night of gossiping and laughing. It would be awesome. Please?”

Nico shook his head again, but Percy saw that the boy was hesitating, clearly tempted. _Maybe if I …._

Before his mind could make any sense out of his wild plan, he leaned in and pecked the other boy’s lips. Nico’s dark eyes widened and he opened his mouth in a small O.  The kiss lasted only for a second or two, but it was enough to leave the younger teen gaping. Percy leaned their foreheads together, noses touching.

“Come on, Neeks.” He let his hand slide from Nico’s wrists to his hand, curling his fingers around Nico’s skinny ones.

“Percy, I don’t-” Another kiss. Nico found himself closing his eyes at the sensation and he knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in.

When they separated with a slightly smacking sound, they were both flushed.

“Well, what do you say?” Percy breathed.

“I-”

“Looks like you need more convincing” Percy muttered and caught Nico’s lips in a hot kiss again. His other hand slid down Nico's side, to touch the skin just beneath the waistband of his jeans. The son of Hades melted at this, and when they stood there, panting for air, he let out a barely audibly:

“Okay."  


x

x

x

When Percy awoke next morning, he lay on his side with an arm under his head. He groaned, and tried to go back to sleep.

Then he remembered last night, his eyes shot wide open and he turned around in the bed.

Next to him lay Nico di Angelo in one of Percy’s Camp Half-blood shirts. The boy’s hair was a mess and his mouth formed a small O in his sleep. His chest rised and sank and the boy looked calm and peaceful, as if he belonged here.

Percy felt a warm flower wrap around his heart and he couldn’t stop a huge smile as he watched the younger demigod sleep next to him in the bed.

 **  
** _He stayed._

**Author's Note:**

> Like my Percico-fanfics? Check out my others: just click on my username, choose "Percy Jackson"fandom and scroll!


End file.
